Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

This video will explain the most effective ways and best practices to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. ...read more

Video Transcript

Carbon monoxide can be a very serious, it’s a very deadly gas. A lot of times your boaters mistakenly think that they might be seasick when actually it’s the carbon monoxide poisoning and they don’t even realize it.

I had a case here back a few years ago where a young lady was swimming around the Transom area, she became dizzy, a little nauseated. First they thought this was maybe seasickness. By the time they got her back to the landing she was unconscious. So you need to make sure that when you’re around Transom areas, enclosed areas in the boat, that you’re getting some fresh air. That’s the key, it’s to keep going into the fresh air. These gases are odorless, they’re invisible. You need to make sure that in your boats that you have some type of carbon monoxide detector just like a smoke detector. They’re very inexpensive and it could be the difference between life and death.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

This Boat-Ed safety course video gives tips for avoiding carbon monoxide poisoning while boating, such as using a carbon monoxide detector and being careful not to swim around the swim platform at the back of a boat. ...read more

Video Transcript

An invisible killer that attacks boaters is carbon monoxide gas. You can’t see, smell or taste it but only a few breaths can be fatal so keep air moving through your boat at all times when it is running. Don’t tie up to another vessel that is running. Its exhaust can release carbon monoxide into your boat.

If your boat has a cabin area, be sure and install a carbon monoxide detector. Never swim around the swim platform while the engine is running. One or two breaths in this area can be fatal.